Which big Texas city has the best downtown? (Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Ft. Worth) (Fort Worth: theatres, university)

[Lakewooder]

OK Fort Worth has a town square that is happening. So do a lot of Texas small towns.

[DANNYY]

Originally Posted by dallasboi

Common amongst who....Ft.Worthians?

I'm a Chicagoan. To me it shouldn't even be a contest on which downtown is more lively, because the only one that can talk is NYC and San Francisco.

But coming to Houston, the downtown was a tad disappointing throughout my childhood, nothing as I expected, it's getting better now, same with Dallas.

I have loved the culture of San Antonio and Fort Worth's downtowns respectively. Funkytown's got a lot more going for downtown liveliness than Dallas and Houston both.

140,000 people go to downtown Houston everyday. That's about 19.9% of Fort Worth's total population. And for Fort Worth's downtown to be more "lively" regarded on a state level, there has got to be more people going there than just the Fort Worthians.

[portyhead24]

Originally Posted by slo1318

No, even in Dallas & on Dallas radio they revere DT Fort Worth. Its a much better place to hang out than DT Dallas or Austin or Houston. There is more going on, and its more pedestrian friendly. San Antonio has a lot of cool spots and the riverwalk as a feature and tourist attraction trumps them all. DT Dallas and Houston have the highrises, but the other three have far more character and are better to hang out in.

Yeah, if you consider the Disneyfication and sterility of DT Ft Worth to be character, then yes it has way more character. DT Ft Worth is such a joke to me. Seems that the majority of people who really love goin downtown and enjoying all of its amenities are whitebread people who don't know any place to go that offers real character and ambiance. I'm not sayin DT Dallas is great cause it's not. But Ft Worth is just an example of this forced family-friendly sterile urbanization that it seems so many cities go for. Now downtown SA, I really like. Though it does have some of the negative characteristics I see in FW, it has a lot more character, culture and history to me. So I say SA has the best downtown. Ft Worth has the best downtown for the fact that it is pedestrian friendly, trees, and shops, clubs and restaurants you can go to, but alot of these places are so lame I'd much rather hang out in Lower Greenville, Oak Lawn, uptown any day over Fort Worth.

[dallasboi]

Originally Posted by portyhead24

Yeah, if you consider the Disneyfication and sterility of DT Ft Worth to be character, then yes it has way more character. DT Ft Worth is such a joke to me. Seems that the majority of people who really love goin downtown and enjoying all of its amenities are whitebread people who don't know any place to go that offers real character and ambiance. I'm not sayin DT Dallas is great cause it's not. But Ft Worth is just an example of this forced family-friendly sterile urbanization that it seems so many cities go for. Now downtown SA, I really like. Though it does have some of the negative characteristics I see in FW, it has a lot more character, culture and history to me. So I say SA has the best downtown. Ft Worth has the best downtown for the fact that it is pedestrian friendly, trees, and shops, clubs and restaurants you can go to, but alot of these places are so lame I'd much rather hang out in Lower Greenville, Oak Lawn, uptown any day over Fort Worth.

This is so "DEAD RIGHT" I could kiss you Portyhead...Well said post!!!!

[slo1318]

Originally Posted by portyhead24

Yeah, if you consider the Disneyfication and sterility of DT Ft Worth to be character, then yes it has way more character. DT Ft Worth is such a joke to me. Seems that the majority of people who really love goin downtown and enjoying all of its amenities are whitebread people who don't know any place to go that offers real character and ambiance. I'm not sayin DT Dallas is great cause it's not. But Ft Worth is just an example of this forced family-friendly sterile urbanization that it seems so many cities go for. Now downtown SA, I really like. Though it does have some of the negative characteristics I see in FW, it has a lot more character, culture and history to me. So I say SA has the best downtown. Ft Worth has the best downtown for the fact that it is pedestrian friendly, trees, and shops, clubs and restaurants you can go to, but alot of these places are so lame I'd much rather hang out in Lower Greenville, Oak Lawn, uptown any day over Fort Worth.

I wouldnt argue with SA's downtown, it has nearly everything, but you said it above, about FW.......... uptown??? Dallas?? what a joke...
FW has an overall cowtown/Texan character, which should not be downplayed. Its pervasive downtown and the stockyards which are nearly an extension of downtown. The negative characteristics you point out are generally things people like....

[portyhead24]

Originally Posted by dallasboi

This is so "DEAD RIGHT" I could kiss you Portyhead...Well said post!!!!

hahaha, thanks I love you too

Originally Posted by slo1318

I wouldnt argue with SA's downtown, it has nearly everything, but you said it above, about FW.......... uptown??? Dallas?? what a joke...
FW has an overall cowtown/Texan character, which should not be downplayed. Its pervasive downtown and the stockyards which are nearly an extension of downtown. The negative characteristics you point out are generally things people like....

Yeah, I know alot of people like those charecteristics, and alot of them are whitebread yokel bumpkins who probably never set foot outside of Texas. I grew up in Ft. Worth, I know the city well, and while it does some things well such as having a great performance hall, Bass Hall, the downtown to me is so walmart/McD's. Little character and personality. Fort Worth should be thanking their lucky stars for the Bass family for promoting the fine arts in the city. Without them and a few others the city would be lost. I have my reasons for not caring for downtown Ft. Worth. For example, The Library, that's a whole other story. I had my fill of frat boys/ignorant wannabe thugsters that night. Don't get your feelings hurt though, it's just my personal opinion and that and $1 will get you a coke outta the coke machine.

[slo1318]

Whats wrong with "whitebreads" you've used that term twice now? Sure FW is lucky to have the Bass family and others, but every city has their elite. Im not from FW or Texas for that matter, but for the size of city FW is, it has a very good arts scene, excellent museums, and a good culture. The downtown in my opinion is appropriately sized and is pretty vibrant. DT Dallas & Houston to me are the the same, all glitz and no substance. Does that mean they are going to stay that way? I dont think so, I think they'll both get better, but right now.....no.

[portyhead24]

Originally Posted by slo1318

Whats wrong with "whitebreads" you've used that term twice now? Sure FW is lucky to have the Bass family and others, but every city has their elite. Im not from FW or Texas for that matter, but for the size of city FW is, it has a very good arts scene, excellent museums, and a good culture. The downtown in my opinion is appropriately sized and is pretty vibrant. DT Dallas & Houston to me are the the same, all glitz and no substance. Does that mean they are going to stay that way? I dont think so, I think they'll both get better, but right now.....no.

and this is how I feel about Ft. Worth's downtown. Sure there are people walking around and there are shops and restaurants and a few bars and clubs, but so does Disneyworld. Heck, doesn't Disneyworld even have a downtown Main Street? If you don't get that comparison then I don't know what else to tell you. And what I don't like about whitebread is because it's a very homogenous group of people. Some mid- to upper middle-class white folk who wanna come to good ol downtown ft. worth cause it's so quaint and fun. God, gag me. Boring and yes, lacking substance (btw, I'm white so don't get it twisted ). I just prefer a more eclectic vibe. I don't mind there being some whitebread people but I like variety. I like ecleticism, and eccentricities, and individuality and I just don't get anything but a sterile suburban vibe in a quasi urban setting when I go to downtown Ft. Worth. You got your Marble Slab, your Starbuck's, your TGIFriday's, your AMC theater, your Barne's and Noble, your Pete's Piano Bar and a bunch of other boring places. There was one place that played some cool jazz on Sunday's though so I'll give credit there. When in Austin, you see folks playing music on the streets, transvestites, all sorts of people, from the weirdos to the normies. Heaven forbid that ever happen in hip hop happenin downtown Ft. Worth.

[slo1318]

And thats fine....but there is more to it than that, you just have to find it. Theres are unique and creative people in every city. My fav urban environment is San Francisco, close to where I grew up, but there are many who find it dirty, they dont like to be surrounded by the homeless, or transvestites or its too crowded, and I can understand that. For some the street performers are just beggers with a guitar, for others its culture its urban edgyness....I get it.
DT FW is somewhere in between downtown Disney and San Francisco....and thats okay.

[Quattro72]

Originally Posted by TT Dave

IMHO San Antonio has the best downtown, then Austin, then Ft. Worth.

That’s because downtown is all San Antonio has. LOL. The riverwalk is nice and not to mention the Alamo, something you want to visit once a decade. It all depends what you are looking for.